Studying GPR's direct and reflected waves

As the transmitter and receiver (Tx and Rx, respectively) are located in close proximity during a typical ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey, the powerful signal generated by the Tx and which is then recorded by the Rx at various time delays, can be saturated at early times (i.e., this is the direct wave (DW) signal reaching the Rx). This often causes the masking of shallow targets, complicating data interpretation. In this study, our aim is to examine the spatial distribution of the electromagnetic signals around the Tx, attempting to locate areas where the DW becomes minimum, whereas the signal strength from subsurface targets (i.e., reflected wave – RW) remains ideally unchanged. The position of these local minima in the DW signal could give rise to advantageous Tx–Rx configurations, where clear reflections from subsurface targets lying at shallow depths can be obtained with the least possible involvement of the DW. To perform such a study, we carried out static field measurements over a flat lying reflector as well as numerical simulations in a reflection, common-offset mode around a transmitting antenna. In the field, we also collected wide-angle reflection–refraction data to determine the GPR wave velocity in the uppermost layer. GPR signals were recorded by the Rx around the Tx in three concentric circles of various radii (i.e., varying the Tx/Rx separation), using a specific angular step and varying the Tx/Rx polarization each time. The synthetic data were produced using a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain modelling tool. Field and numerically simulated data were analysed and compared to study the behaviour of both the DW and RW events around the Tx when changing the Tx/Rx distance, their respective angular position, as well as their relative polarization/orientation.